Dropping Out vs Transferring: Saving Your WAM

The Wrong Degree Trap

You chose a Bachelor of Engineering because your parents told you to. You are now in your 3rd semester, your WAM is a 55, you have failed two Math units, and you are miserable. You want to transfer to a Bachelor of Business.

The biggest fear holding students back is the transcript. "If I transfer to Business, will HR see my Engineering fails? Will I graduate with a 55 WAM?"

The answer depends entirely on how you transfer.

Scenario 1: The Internal Transfer (Same University)

If you are at UNSW studying Engineering and you internally transfer to a UNSW Business degree, the administration handles your transcript in a very specific way.

The Reset: Generally, your WAM resets. The core engineering units you failed will remain on your internal* academic record, but they will not count towards your new Bachelor of Business WAM.

The Credit Transfer (RPL): You can apply for "Recognition of Prior Learning." If you passed a generic elective (like Microeconomics) while in Engineering, you can transfer that credit to your Business degree.

The Catch: If you transfer a unit for credit, the grade comes with it*. If you scored a 51 (Pass) in that elective, and transfer it to your new degree, your new Business WAM starts at a miserable 51. Only transfer credits if the grade was a Credit (65+) or Distinction.

Scenario 2: The External Transfer (Different University)

If you hate Engineering at RMIT and decide to transfer to Business at Monash University, you are effectively a brand new student.

The Clean Slate: Monash does not care about your RMIT WAM. You start at Monash with a completely blank WAM of 0.

The Application: To get into Monash, you apply via VTAC (or UAC in NSW) using your university grades instead of your high school ATAR. If your RMIT WAM was a 55, Monash might reject your transfer application entirely.

Scenario 3: The Visa Trap (International Students)

If you are an international student on a Subclass 500 Visa, transferring is highly dangerous.

Under visa condition 8202, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress and attendance.

If you attempt to transfer to a "lower" AQF level (e.g., from a Bachelor's degree to a Diploma at a TAFE college) without a release letter, your visa will be cancelled.

You must secure a new CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment) before withdrawing from your current degree.

Make the Decision Math-Based

Do not spend three years miserable in a degree you hate just because you don't want to lose credit points.

Use our Cumulative WAM Calculator to simulate your new transcript. Input only the high-scoring electives you plan to transfer over, and see how much stronger your graduate resume will look with a fresh start.